Meaning:
The pronunciation of “吃饭” (chīfàn; eating a meal) in Southwestern Chinese dialect, this term has the implication of “making a living” and has been used by Chinese netizens to refer to the various things people do to earn money. The most frequent usage is referring to product placement in the videos that influencers and vloggers post on streaming sites.
Example:
A: 我喜欢的一个做科技产品测评的博主也开始恰饭了。
Wǒ xǐhuan de yīgè zuò kējì chǎnpǐn cèpíng de bózhǔ yě kāishǐ qiàfàn le。
A vlogger I like who specializes in trying and rating new gadgets has started to accept product placement in his videos.
B: 把影响力变现很正常啊，谁会有钱不挣呢？
Bǎ yǐngxiǎnglì biànxiàn hěn zhèngcháng a，shuí huì yǒu qián búzhèng ne？
It’s natural for people to cash in on their influence. Who will say no to money?